Barbara Bishop for Boone County Assessor

Thursday, August 7, 2008

I want to personally thank all my supporters and the over 5,200 people in Boone County who voted for me! We were outspent by 12:1 running against a 20-year incumbent. I couldn't be prouder of our campaign and the issues we raised.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Like many people across the country, Barb Bishop was horrified as she watched the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina three years ago unfold on television. The event prompted thousands of people to donate money and volunteer, and it became the catalyst to jolt Bishop into local governance.

“It really upset me,” Bishop said. Governments at “every level dropped the ball there, I thought. I sat there going, ‘You know, if more of us would be more involved in government instead of just sitting back and saying that they are taking care of me — .’

"I disagree with my opponent," challenger Barb Bishop said in her opening. "I think it is broken."

Another audience member brought up a publicized incident from 2005 in which Schauwecker used profanity in a voice-mail message to a constituent who had called with questions about her camper’s assessed value. "In the assessor’s office under Barb Bishop, the only F-word would be f-a-i-r," she said.

During their opening and closing speeches, and in response to voters’ questions, incumbent Tom Schauwecker and challenger Barbara Bishop addressed the most prominent campaign issues, including public disclosure of home sale prices, the use of vehicle identification numbers, or VINs, for vehicle assessment and invocations of “change” and “fairness.”

● Issue: Voluntary questionnaires sent by the Boone County assessor’s office to collect sale price information about homes. Missouri law does not require public disclosure of a home’s purchase price.

● Challenger Barbara Bishop said the questionnaires are not clearly enough labeled as voluntary and fears completed questionnaires can be misused to raise property values for other homes in a neighborhood where a sale occurs.

● Assessor Tom Schauwecker said his office uses the surveys to obtain market data that help make property appraisals for tax purposes. He said the information is only used to estimate value of the surveyed home.

[Clarification: I would do away completely with the "certificate of value" survey my opponent currently uses. It is not mandatory; therefore only a few people turn it in; and therefore it provides incomplete and often inaccurate information about a critical issue: the sales prices of homes.]

Friday, June 20, 2008

1) If it's still the largest in the state or even larger than average, return some of the Boone County assessor's surplus to taxpayers. They can invest their money better than we can.Avoid huge tax windfalls or sudden tax losses with consistent reassessments that accurately reflect property values, up OR down.

2) Rethink the vehicle tax based on vehicle identification numbers or VINs. That policy change led to a tax increase for thousands of hard-working Boone County residents. Tax increases should be legislated and approved by the people, but my opponent made this increase on his own. I believe in Taxation WITH Representation.

3) Protect first time homebuyers by abolishing the Certificate of Value that everyone gets from the assessor after they buy property. It is an unnecessary burden on homeowners and employees of the assessor's office.

5) My opponent uses a poorly advertised informal office appeal for taxpayers to appeal their taxes. It's legal, but few people know about it. Those who do have an unfair advantage. I've only seen it mentioned in the Columbia Tribune once in ten years. I want to make sure that all appeals processes are open, well-advertised and transparent.

6) I will use best practices among professional appraisers for special property types, such as historic property.

7) I want to strive for assessment consistency and treat everyone fairly. That means not over-appraising homes in low-income neighborhoods, for instance.

8) The Board of Equalization that hears property tax appeals must consist of three property owning, taxpaying citizens. But in Boone County, the Board of Equalization is staffed by county commissioners AND the county assessor -- the foxes guarding the henhouse. I strongly support a citizens-only board. Possible board members might be a certified appraiser, real estate agent, and homeowner.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

I attended a very emotional forum Wednesday night hosted by the Columbia Public Schools Board of Education. I wanted to find out how closely the school district and the county assessor communicate, because property taxes mostly fund public schools. I've read several news articles, like this one from June 8th, that appear to show some kind of communication.

The first article says "administrators found out last week that the assessed valuation of property in the district has grown just 3.14 percent over the past year, less than the 3.5 percent increase they expected to see. "

"District officials had even been cautiously optimistic that assessed valuation would grow as much as 4.5 percent, and they planned to use the additional revenue to give employees an across-the-board pay raise."

The second article says, "the district expects to see at least a 5 percent growth in assessed valuation in 2009, a reassessment year..."Huh? There are four different numbers here, with four different expectations, each with its own plan. How did the Columbia school district get this information? If they got it from the county assessor, why isn't it consistent?

These are all important reasons I believe the county assessor should be communicating regularly and openly with local school boards and administrators.

I want to continue hearing from you -- your concerns about our economy, our jobs, our schools, our homes, and our families. Tonight I'll be at Twilight Fest in Downtown Columbia. Tomorrow, I'll be attending the Muleskinner's debate between southern district county commissioner Karen Miller and her challenger, Sid Sullivan.

I'll be at the 14th annual Hallsville Heritage Days this Saturday, June 21 and at several other events and venues that day.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

I'd like to congratulate my opponent for making a long-overdue change on the county assessor's website by bringing transparency to the appeals process.

If you look here, you'll see where I suggested months ago that we need to advertise and make the entire process very clear and open (platform point #6). I even use the words "informal appeal."

And what do you know? This suddenly appears on the assessor's website:

The last day to appeal your assessment is June 30, 2008. If you do not agree with your assessment, there are three steps you can take in the appeal process.

Informal HearingsContact the county assessor’s office as soon as you are notified of your assessment. During an informal meeting with the assessor or one of the staff, you can learn how your assessment was made, what factors were considered, and what type of records pertain to your property. Many disagreements are taken care of at this level.

Board of EqualizationIf not satisfied after the informal meeting, you should fill out the Boone County Board of Equalization Assessment Appeal form. This form must be returned to the Boone County Clerk postmarked by June 30, 2008. The board will hear evidence from the assessor and you regarding the value of the property which is the subject of the appeal.

State Tax CommissionYou have a right to appeal the decision of the board of equalization to the State Tax Commission by August 15 in first-class counties (which includes Boone) or St Louis County, and September 30 in other counties or 30 days after the final action of the board of equalization—whichever is later. For more information regarding appeals see the Reassessment Questions & Answers or contact the Missouri State Tax Commission.

Just think what I'll be able to accomplish after I become your next Boone County Assessor on August 5th! And as always, I appreciate your votes and support.

That was Drive radio talk show host Gary Nolan's humorous take on my opponents use of the F-word in a well-publicized event a couple of years ago. He couldn't use the real word so he started our interview yesterday on the Eagle 93.9 FM with this rendition of a recorded telephone conversation between my opponent, a Hallsville constituent, and an employee in the assessor's office.

"Give me a firetrucking telephone number where I can reach you at." "She’s got a firetrucking - she’s crazy.""I’ve left three firetrucking messages for her." Gary started the show with a bang and then we got down to business, talking about my platform for change, which includes not using the word "firetruck."

We talked about why it's important to tax homeowners and landlords -- even though they might be right next door to each other -- using different methods. A senior citizen with a paid off homehas little in common with an investor and a rental.We talked about why I'm running for assessor -- why I'm uniquely qualified to tackle some complex issues that our current foreclosure crisis will only make more complex. We talked about my passion for fairness in public service, and the need to follow the law.Speaking of following the law, my opponent's loss of the now famous 3M appeal late last year came up. I talked about how I would have handled the case differently, and why the State Tax Commission ruled against him. A couple of callers phoned in, but after my segment was over. I'm hoping to come back. Mr. Nolan suggested a debate between my opponent and I. I don't do a lot of radio interviews so I was a little nervous, but I think I said, "bring it on!"

Rethink the vehicle tax based on vehicle identification numbersor VINs. That policy change led to a tax increase for thousands of hard-working Boone County residents. Tax increases should be legislated and approved by the people, but my opponent made this increase on his own. I believe inTaxation WITH Representation.

Protect first time homebuyers by abolishing the Certificate of Value that everyone gets from the assessor after they buy property. It is an unnecessary burden on homeowners and employees of the assessor's office.

My opponent uses a poorly advertised informal office appeal for taxpayers to appeal their taxes. It's legal, but few people know about it. Those who do have an unfair advantage. I've only seen it mentioned in the Columbia Tribuneonce in ten years. I want to make sure that all appeals processes are open, well-advertised and transparent.

I will use best practices among professional appraisers for special property types, such as historic property.

I want to strive for assessment consistency and treat everyone fairly. That means not over-appraising homes in low-income neighborhoods, for instance.

The Board of Equalization that hears property tax appeals must consist of three property owning, taxpaying citizens. But in Boone County, the Board of Equalization is staffed by county commissioners AND the county assessor -- the foxes guarding the henhouse. I strongly support a citizens-only board. Possible board members might be a certified appraiser, real estate agent, and homeowner.